The Middle Belt have expressed anger and disappointment at the administration of President Jonathan, while also saying they regret voting for him, during the 2011 general elections.
The representatives of the region say they have nothing to show for their support for the President, while insisting that they would still vote for him at the upcoming polls.
They expressed their feelings in a communiqué issued after a summit of the Middle Belt Dialogue in Jos which had in attendance, delegates from the Federal Capital Territory, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba and Yobe states.
The communiqué, which was signed by the facilitators of the summit – Messrs Aminu Zang, Lanre Obafemi, Rima Shawulu and Mark Jacob, reads:
“There is general anger and disappointment in our communities against the Jonathan-led Federal Government as a result of the sad reality that despite the huge political investment by our people for the purpose of electing him in 2011, there has been no commensurate political patronage in terms of projects and appointments.”
“It is obvious that as a result of the huge political investment of our communities in 2011, our communities have been exposed to unimaginable genocide and consequent untold hardship, while governments at the state and federal levels have appeared indifferent to the suffering of our people.”
“As a result of the genocide, agriculture which has been the mainstay of the Middle Belt and a major source of economic stability of our people, has been disrupted thereby laying the foundation for food insecurity in the country at large.”